Metro does the monster smash

June 21, 2006|CURT RALLO Tribune Staff Writer

MISHAWAKA -- It was all too symbolic that Garrett Brinker's exclamation smash for the final point in the Indiana Metro's 5-0 sweep of the Indiana West in the Sports Fest games reverberated down the courts at Bethel College. The Indiana West players dealt with the speed of sound continually as bullet serves by the powerful Metro team whistled by them, setting the tone for a powerful showcase of some of Indiana's tennis elite. Indiana Metro plays for the Sports Fest championship against Michigan at Bethel College on Thursday at 5 p.m. "These Metro boys hit the ball awfully hard, don't they?" said Metro coach Rick Dukeshier in an understatement akin to saying that howitzers pack a punch. "Our singles players, all three of them (Chris Jordan, Levi Musser and Dean Geyer) really have tough, tough serves. "It can be a little disconcerting when you're warming up and you catch your opponent's serve because it has so much kick and so much pace," said Dukeshier, who coaches at Penn. "It can put a psyche on you before you start." Jordan, Geyer and Brinker unleashed the dominating form that helped their Penn High School team reach the state championships the past two tournaments. Jordan rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 victory against LaPorte star Josh Kutch at No. 1 singles. Geyer downed LaPorte's Kyle Ahlgrim, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3 singles. Brinker teamed up with Dan Mullaney of St. Joseph's to knock off Greg Larson and Corey Kozachenko of LaPorte, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles. Riley great Levi Musser chalked up a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 2 singles against Scott Wentz of Knox, and Musser and Geyer teamed up for a 6-0, 6-0 victory against Ahlgrim of LaPorte and Mike Phillips of Michigan City at No. 2 doubles. "They're really, really tough," Indiana West coach Bill Reed of LaPorte said of the Metro squad, which is loaded with all-state selections. "When you're talking about the South Bend area, you're talking about very good tennis. They have great programs and they have three indoor clubs nearby. These are year-round players. It's understandable that they're so good. They're very experienced players and they're all going to play in college. "It was a good experience for our kids," Reed continued. "It's an honor to get chosen and play. The competitive spirit was there. We got beat solidly, but there were a lot of good points." For Penn's Jordan, Sports Fest was an opportunity to play again on Indiana courts. He will be moving on in the fall to play for Emory University in Atlanta. "It's nice to see everyone one last time, to get everyone together," Jordan said. "I'll come back to see my parents, but I won't be coming back to Indiana for an extended period of time."